Sectional dress-form.



F. B. GRANGER.

SECTIONAL DRESS FORM. APLPLICATION FILED AUG-8. 1913.

Patented Feb. 29,1916;

1 STATS PATENT @FFTQE.

FRANK B. GRANGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 HALL-BORCHEBT DRESS FORM COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SECTIO'NAL DRESS-FORM.

Application filed August 8, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK B. GRANGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Sectional Dress-Forms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specificat on, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to sectional dress forms of that type which comprise a plurality of separate sections that are adjustable relative to each other so that the size and shape of the form can be adjusted to suit the requirements of use.

The invention relates particularly to the clamping device for holding the various sections in their adjusted position and it has for its object to provide a novel clamping device in which the clamping action is secured by means of a cam which can be quickly operated for clamping or releasmg the connection between any two sections.

I will first describe some selected embodiments of my invention which will disclose the principle thereof and Will then point out the novel features of the invention in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows an interior view of one-half the body portion of the dress form embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line w-m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the clamping device shown in Fig. 2 with the straps or connecting members shown in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a construction wherein a single connecting member is used. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the clamping device shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clamping device shown in Fig. 2.

My invention is capable of use with any sectional form regardless of the manner in which the form is divided and in order to illustrate the invention I have shown it in Fig. 1 as it might be applied to a dress form which is divided to present in the front half thereof the two shoulder sections 1, the neck section 2, the hip sections 3 and the bust sections 4.

My improved connecting means can be used at any point where it is desired to connect two adjacent sections of the form and it comprises a connecting member prefer- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Serial No. 783,677.

ably in the form of a strap which is secured to one of two adjacent sections that are to be connected, and a clamping device secured to the other of said sections and provided with two separated bearing points adapted to engage the connecting member and a pivoted cam to bear on said connecting member between said points and thereby frictionally clamp said member against the points.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a simple embodiment of the invention adapted for connecting two adjacent sections only and in said figure the two sections to be thus connected are designated as 1 and 4 respectively.

The section 4 has secured thereto a connecting member 5 in the form of a metal strap or metal strip which will preferably be somewhat resilient, said connecting member being secured to the section 4 in any approved way as by means of rivets 6. The section 1 has the clamping member secured thereto which in the present embodiment comprises a body portion 7 which is rigidly secured to the section 1 in any suitable way as by means of rivets 8 and which is formed with two separated bearing portions 9 which engage one face of the strap 5 and a cam 10 adapted to engage the other face of said strap between said bearing portions, whereby the strap is frictionally gripped between the cam and the bearing portions.

The body 7 may be formed in various ways to present the bearing portions 9. One simple and convenient way is to make said body portion of a strip of metal which is bent up at its ends to form ears 11 in which the cam 10 is supported and which has secured thereto between said ears a metal plate 12 having its ends up-turned to form the bearing portions 9, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The cam 10 may be made in various ways without departing from the invention. It is herein shown as sustained by a pin 13 which is carried by the cars 11 and is formed by a strip of metal bent to present a shank portion 14, the end of which is bent around the pin 13 and then doubled back on itself to present the cam portion 10. The cam is mounted to turn on the pin 13 and the end of the shank is preferably bent laterally as shown at 15 to provide a thumb piece or handle by which the cam can be operated. When the cam is in the dotted line position Fig. 4 it is unclamped from the strip 5 and the two sections 1 and 4 can be readily adjusted toward and from each other, said strap 5 sliding between the cam 10 and bearing portions 9 during said adjustment. When the desired adjustment has been effected the shank 1% is turned into the full line position Fig. 4-, thus bringing the cam 10 against the connecting member 5 and clamping the latter firmly against the bearing portions 9. The strap 5 is preferably slightly resilient so that it will give between the bearing portions 9 sufficiently to enable the cam to be brought into its operative position.

In some places on the dress form it is desirable to provide a single clamping device for clamping three sections in adjusted posi- 1 tion and in Figs. 2, 3 and 6 I have shown an embodiment capable of accomplishing this object. This form of the invention can con veniently be used for connecting the shoulder section 1 to both the neck section 2 and one of the bust sections 4 or may be used in any part of the form where it is desirable, to adjustably connect three sections by a single clamping member. In this embodiment the body portion of the clamping member is provided with the ears as above described carrying the pin on which the cam 100 is mounted, said cam having the shank portion and thumb piece by which it is operated. The body portion is also provided with the plate 120 having its ends upturned to present the bearing portions 90 against which the strip 5 is clamped by the cam 100. The ears 110' are slotted as shown at 20 and a strap 21 connected to another section and extending at right angles to the strap 5 passes through the slots 20 and also beneath the cam 100. I have shown the edges of the plate 120 as upturned at 22 to Tform rests for the strap 21. When the cam $100 is thrown into its operative position it Qwill clamp the strap 5 against the bearing portions 90 and also clamp the strap 21 befjtween the strap 5 and the rests 22 or the edges of the slots 20 thus locking both straps {from movement.

I My clamping device is very easily operated as will be apparent, it is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture and firmly holds the dress form sections in their adjusted positions.

WVhile I have described some embodiments of the invention, I do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2 In a sectional dress form, the combination with two sections adjustable relative to each other, of a flexible strap member secured to one section, and a clamping device secured to the other section, said clamping device presenting a body portion formed from a piece of metal having its ends bent to form ears, and a plate situated between said ears and extending transversely of the body portion and having its ends upturned to form separated bearing surfaces against which the strap member rests, and a cam pivoted between said ears and adapted to clamp the strap member against the bearing surfaces.

In testimony whereof, I have signed name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK B. GRANGER.

Witnesses:

FRANK GARCIA, WILLIAM O. HowLE'r'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G." 

